Tim Lincecum is checked out by Buster Posey after Lincecum slipped and fell as he started to throw a pitch, causing a balk.

Photo: David Zalubowski, Associated Press

Tim Lincecum is checked out by Buster Posey after Lincecum slipped...

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum ties his shoe before facing the Colorado Rockies in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Denver on Saturday, May 18, 2013. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Photo: David Zalubowski, Associated Press

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum ties his shoe...

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Colorado Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki, left, follows the flight of his single as San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey looks on in the fifth inning of a baseball game in Denver on Saturday, May 18, 2013. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Photo: David Zalubowski, Associated Press

Colorado Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki, left, follows the flight of his...

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San Francisco Giants' Hunter Pence looks on from the dugout against the Colorado Rockies in the fourth inning of a baseball game in Denver on Saturday, May 18, 2013. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Photo: David Zalubowski, Associated Press

San Francisco Giants' Hunter Pence looks on from the dugout against...

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San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy looks on from the dugout against the Colorado Rockies in the fifth inning of a baseball game in Denver on Saturday, May 18, 2013. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Photo: David Zalubowski, Associated Press

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy looks on from the dugout...

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San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum, foreground, reacts as Colorado Rockies' Wilin Rosario, background, rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning of a baseball game in Denver, Saturday, May 18, 2013. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Photo: David Zalubowski, Associated Press

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum, foreground,...

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Colorado Rockies' Wilin Rosario gestures as he crosses home plate after hitting a two-run home run against the San Francisco Giants in the fifth inning of a baseball game in Denver on Saturday, May 18, 2013. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Photo: David Zalubowski, Associated Press

Colorado Rockies' Wilin Rosario gestures as he crosses home plate...

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Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies advances to third base on a fly ball as Pablo Sandoval #48 of the San Francisco Giants awaits the throw from the outfield at Coors Field on May 18, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies led the Giants 4-1 after four innings. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Photo: Dustin Bradford, Getty Images

Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies advances to third base on...

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Buster Posey #28 of the San Francisco Giants reacts as Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies touches home plate for the third run in the bottom of the third inning of a game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on May 18, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies led the Giants 4-1 after four innings. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Photo: Dustin Bradford, Getty Images

Buster Posey #28 of the San Francisco Giants reacts as Nolan...

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Tim Lincecum #55 of the San Francisco Giants delivers a pitch against the Colorado Rockies in the second inning of a game at Coors Field on May 18, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies led the Giants 4-1 after four innings. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Photo: Dustin Bradford, Getty Images

Tim Lincecum #55 of the San Francisco Giants delivers a pitch...

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San Francisco Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro, left, dives to field an errant throw as Colorado Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez steals second base in the first inning of a baseball game in Denver on Saturday, May 18, 2013. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Photo: David Zalubowski, Associated Press

San Francisco Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro, left, dives to...

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Tim Lincecum #55 of the San Francisco Giants lets the ball get loose on the transfer from his glove, allowing a single and a run to score in the third inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 18, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies led the Giants 4-1 after four innings. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Photo: Dustin Bradford, Getty Images

Tim Lincecum #55 of the San Francisco Giants lets the ball get...

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Tim Lincecum #55 of the San Francisco Giants delivers a pitch against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning of a game at Coors Field on May 18, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Photo: Dustin Bradford, Getty Images

Tim Lincecum #55 of the San Francisco Giants delivers a pitch...

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San Francisco Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro, left, dives to field a throw as Colorado Rockies' Carlos Gonzalez steals second base in the first inning of a baseball game in Denver, Saturday, May 18, 2013. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Photo: David Zalubowski, Associated Press

San Francisco Giants second baseman Marco Scutaro, left, dives to...

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Wilin Rosario #20 of the Colorado Rockies laughs as he celebrates the win with Wilton Lopez #59, as Todd Helton #17 and Nolan Arenado #28 walk off the field after a win over the San Francisco Giants at Coors Field on May 18, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies beat the Giants 10-2. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Photo: Dustin Bradford, Getty Images

Wilin Rosario #20 of the Colorado Rockies laughs as he celebrates...

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Pablo Sandoval #48 of the San Francisco Giants fields a ground ball but is unable to force an out in the seventh inning of a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on May 18, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies beat the Giants 10-2. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

Photo: Dustin Bradford, Getty Images

Pablo Sandoval #48 of the San Francisco Giants fields a ground ball...

Fans could drive themselves to drink trying to make sense of this season.

When the Giants completed a 7-3 homestand by outscoring the Braves 23-4 over the final three games, folks could daydream about more October baseball. The Giants then embarked on what looked like an innocuous six-game trip and have butchered the game badly enough to test anybody's faith about their future.

"This is as tough a stretch as we've gone through," manager Bruce Bochy said after Saturday night's 10-2 loss at Coors Field left them 1-4 since they left home. "Giving up as many runs as we have, you're not going to win. The offense did a great job coming back when we were down six runs in the first game here, or we wouldn't have a win on this trip."

The pitching has been dreadful, with the starters allowing eight, eight, six, nine and six runs in this turn through the rotation, the final six charged to Tim Lincecum in five innings Saturday.

Ten of those 37 runs were unearned, thanks to some of the 12 errors this supposed pitching-and-defense team has committed, including three more Saturday after Bochy closed the clubhouse doors and told the team to focus on eliminating the mental mistakes that cause the physical ones.

The last Giants team to commit 12 errors in five games, in 1996, finished last in the National League West and lost 94 games.

In one act Saturday, Lincecum showed 41,412 fans precisely what Bochy asked his players not to do.

Dexter Fowler had tied the game 1-1 with a double in the third inning when Josh Rutledge hit a dribbler between the mound and third-base line. Lincecum pounced on the ball but had no shot at an out. He tried to get Rutledge anyway and threw the ball down the right-field line.

Fowler jogged home, and Rutledge raced to third base, thus allowing him to score on Carlos Gonzalez's groundball. The Rockies got Lincecum for three more runs, including a two-run Wilin Rosario homer in the fifth.

Lincecum was not the same pitcher after the throwing error and admitted he lost it mentally, which Giants players have been so good at not doing through their championship era.

Lincecum sees a lot of Giants trying to play Superman and save this team from a burning building of a trip.

"Everyone wants to make the big play," he said. "That's just the way we are. We're just going to take it personally when we don't do well. We've just got to learn not to dig ourselves into bigger holes. That's what I did today. I put us in a big hole."

Buster Posey, who had a throwing error, admitted that everyone in the room is guilty of pressing sometimes.

"It's not necessarily a bad thing," Posey said. "You're searching, working to get it right. Sometimes it is best to take a step back and take a deep breath."

And perhaps remind themselves that the Giants still reside near the top of the division, and salvation could be as close as the next day's game.

Barry Zito takes the ball Sunday on the same mound from which he threw a shutout after the Giants were swept in Arizona to open the 2012 season. As bad as the Giants look, they desperately need a Zito encore.